- Set a good example. Read for pleasure and show and share that pleasure.
- Leave interesting books lying around. Encourage your child to handle books frequently, carefully, and respectfully.
- Read aloud eagerly to your child. Show him or her how much you enjoy this reading time. Make it special and do it each night if possible!
- Provide a good reading light for your child’s bed area. Encourage a relaxing nightly reading period. Give your child a special hug as you turn off the light at bedtime.
- Be tuned in to what interests your child. Find books and other reading material in these areas of interest.
- Discuss books and current events as a family.
- Ask your child to read to you. Don’t be anxious or impatient with his or her reading ability. Listen to the child read; do not listen for ding mistakes.
- Encourage your child to share what he or she has read in books. Discuss stories, plots, characters, conflicts, resolutions, and feelings.
- Visit the library together. Be sure your child has a library card and encourage its use. Use yours, too!
- Share a -reading interest. Both of you read books on the same subject and share what you’ve learned.
- Be pleased with your child’s reading progress. Give specific and genuine praise.
- Let your child select books he or she wants to own. You and other family members and friends could give these books as gifts on special occasions or as reading rewards. Encourage your child to purchase books using his or her own money, too! Books a child has selected to own are friends for a long, long time!
Parents’ Guide: Helping Your Child to Read
Great Dad Talks
Great Dad Talks is a series of conversations with experts on all aspects of the family adventure. With the perspective that “dads don’t always think like moms,” our mission is to support dad voices and our slightly different approaches to parenting. We’ll try to find solutions to every day challenges like getting kids off the couch and making STEM classes available for both boys and girls. But we’ll also tackle bigger issues when they come. The one main theme will be to support dads in the most important role of their lives that of being a great dad. Connect with us at greatdad.com and watch the video version of these podcasts at YouTube.com/greatdadnews
171. Why Being a Present Dad Matters with John David
In this episode, I talk with John David, a PR and crisis management professional and author of the mystery/thriller novel The Bystander, about what he discovered through being a dad. John shares how fatherhood became one of the things he’s most proud of, how he felt an early emotional bond with his kids, and how providing a calm, nonjudgmental sense of safety helped them come to him for support even as adults. We discuss the sacrifices parents make, the importance of embracing unexpected roles like Cub Scouts leadership, and how empty nesting gave John the time to rediscover fiction and write his novel. John also explains the premise of The Bystander and his writing process.
Check out John’s website at byjohndavid.substack.com
Visit these links and embark on the path to becoming the best parent you can be:
– GreatDad.com/coaching
– GreatDad.com/pq
– Gratitude course: bit.ly/3NMLDNC
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